Explained | Why South Korea plans to help US secure Strait of Hormuz after Trump cuts joint drills

Days after the United States renewed strikes on Iran, targeting Larak Island and a wedding ceremony, killing four people and injuring more than 50, South Korea said on Friday (local time) it was considering aiding US security efforts in the Strait of Hormuz by deploying military assets.

South Korea is considering US aid in the Strait of Hormuz

Citing a statement from the president’s office, AFP said: “Contributions to the Strait of Hormuz could be managed within limits that do not jeopardize military readiness,” adding that a review is currently underway.

Seoul is reportedly reviewing options that include military action to support freedom of navigation in Hormuz, a critical flashpoint that has been a key sticking point in negotiations between Washington and Tehran and has been effectively closed since the conflict began in late February. However, the South Korean government has denied media reports that a decision on military deployment has already been made, Reuters reported.

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According to Reuters, several local media outlets, including JTBC and MBC, reported on Thursday (local time) that the country was preparing to deploy the funds by the end of the year and could seek parliamentary approval this month. The South Korean government has also discussed the scope and nature of potential contribution with countries including the United States, Britain and France.

The official told reporters that Seoul was considering practical ways to contribute to freedom of navigation on the key waterway and confirmed that military measures were among the options being considered. The official said: “Nothing has been decided,” adding that the country would also have to consider domestic legal procedures, military preparedness on the Korean Peninsula and parliamentary approval.

The official also noted that claims that South Korea did not provide any assistance related to the Strait of Hormuz “were not true,” adding that Seoul had long discussed practical contributions with the international community. In addition, the official said South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is expected to discuss options regarding the Strait of Hormuz when he meets French President Emmanuel Macron next week.

Why is South Korea now considering US aid?

The possible deployment comes at a time when the security relationship between the US and South Korea is undergoing changes, with Washington recently scaling back some of its joint military exercises with Seoul.

In early August, the United States announced it would scale back field exercises and shorten the duration of its joint military exercises after President Donald Trump ordered “substantial cuts” to the annual war games, Al Jazeera reported. The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which began on August 17, has been shortened from 11 days to five, with the exercise now scheduled for August 21, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

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The move came after the US president ordered the US to limit its participation in the drills, pointing to his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He also linked the decision to South Korea’s refusal to participate in the US-Israeli war against Iran.

Countries have refused to join Trump’s push to reopen Hormuz

When the war began in late February, the US president called on several countries to help Washington reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies passed. However, most of these countries refused to join the conflict, with states such as the United Kingdom and the European Union arguing that it was not their war.

In March, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said: “Europe is not interested in an open-ended war,” adding that while this was not a European war, its interests were directly at stake. She also said that while there was a “clear desire” among leaders to strengthen the bloc’s naval mission in the Middle East, she had “no desire to change the mandate,” referring to the deployment of warships to the Strait of Hormuz. Kallas noted that “no one wants to go actively into this war.”

However, whether South Korea will help the US in Hormuz and whether this will lead to a shift in relations between the two countries remains to be seen.